BEATSTOCK IS BACK!
Beatstock is back! Presented by Slomin’s Shield, the event is hosted by Drita D’Avanzo from MTV’s ‘Mob Wives’ and Speedy. On Saturday July 27th at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, 103.5 KTU’s “dance music festival that started it all” makes its long awaited return with new, fresh talent.
Some of the great artists set to perform include Deborah Cox, Amber, K&7 & TKA, Judy Torres, Lil Suzy, Rockell, and The Cover Girls. The Vargas Brother, Reina, Real McCoy, Color Me Badd and Joe Zangie are also scheduled to perform. There will also be an after party at the HQ² Nightclub in Atlantic City right after the show. Tickets are available HERE.
Tickets for the main show are on sale now until doors open at 7:30. But if you purchase your tickets through Ticketmaster now, you can get great seats for up to 50% off the normal price! This is a limited time, first-come-first-served deal so be sure to visit Ticketmaster today.
If you missed out on any previous Beatstock shows, now’s your chance to attend one! Who knows when the next show will be. Visit the Beatstock Facebook page for more information and for any updates about the show. It’s going to be an awesome time; we hope to see you there!
Empire Outlets Opens in Staten Island, New York
By Ryan Gumb
Shopping on Staten Island just got a whole lot more interesting and way more fun, thanks to the newly opened Empire Outlets. Located right next to the Staten Island Ferry terminal, these outdoor outlets provide Staten Islanders, and visitors, a shopping experience that they have never had access to. In fact, the Empire Outlets are not only the first outlet shopping destination on Staten Island, but also the first outlet shopping destination in New York City. This unique distinction is what makes the Empire Outlets so important to the people of Staten Island and New York City. Gone are the days of trekking out to New Jersey to shop at the outlets. Instead, Staten Island has chosen to implement a change that will greatly benefit the borough and bring commerce back to the Island!
Shoppers will have a variety of different stores to choose from. Whether you are looking for clothing, accessories, or even food, you will be able to find what you need at the Empire Outlets. The outlets features large stores like American Eagle, Banana Republic, Old Navy, H&M, Haagen-Dazs, Starbucks, and many more. In fact, several stores are still yet to open, so be on the lookout for Converse, Jewelers On Fifth, and Shake Shack.
So come on, Staten Island! Get out to the Empire Outlets ASAP and take advantage of this new shopping experience that is completely unique to Staten Island and New York City, and show everybody what this borough is all about!
Shelter Plan Lacks Common Sense (commentary)
Last month, the mayor announced that he was funding a 200-bed homeless shelter for women and children at 44 Victory Blvd., in Tompkinsville, several hundred feet away from an existing homeless shelter for women and children run by Project Hospitality. The site is one of the most valuable pieces of property in the area because it is zoned for a mixed-use tower that can add residents and income to a neighborhood that is the focus of revitalization efforts. As is its practice, the city is offering the property owner, Freehold S L Limited, a long-term lease well above market rate as an incentive to complete the deal.
The location, 44 Victory Blvd., is just steps away from Minthorne, a row of boutique eateries created by businessman Gary Angiuli, who has been able to attract visitors from Brooklyn and beyond to hang out in the area. In addition to providing a home for cool businesses like Flagship Brewing Co., Daddy O’s BBQ and O’Henry’s Publik House, Angiuli is funding the construction of an elevated park adjacent to the train tracks as a community amenity.
About a mile down the road is Empire Outlets, a project which Community Board 1 demanded be added to the Request for Proposal issued by NYC EDC when they wanted to build the New York Wheel. CB 1 knew that shopping was the best way to get tourists off the boat and onto Staten Island to spend money. It also knew that the community needed a place to shop.
Adjacent to EO is Lighthouse Point, another project spearheaded by CB1 and just a train stop away is another project supported by the community – Urby, a unique mixed-use project designed to attract young urban professionals. Together, these projects represent approximately $1 billion of private investment into Downtown Staten Island.
Over the last five years, the city has awarded millions of dollars in grants to the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, the Staten Island Downtown Alliance, Staten Island Arts and the Staten Island Business Outreach Center to retain and attract businesses to the area. All anyone has to do is walk along Bay Street to know that the investment is paying off. So, where is the common sense in opening a 200-bed homeless shelter in the heart of a district where billions of dollars have been spent on revitalization? Why aren’t our elected officials leading the protest and demanding a more sensible solution to supporting the 1,400 Staten Islanders who are now homeless?
Homeless shelters are dangerous and expensive. In 2018, there were more than 2,500 criminal complaints logged within New York City shelters – 528 were felonies. Homeless services experts agree that the answer to reducing homelessness isn’t to open shelters, but to create more permanent affordable housing, which saves money while truly helping individuals get back on their feet.
Within the Bay Street corridor we have an excellent example of this type of housing. The Rail, located in Stapleton, is a beautiful building with wonderful amenities. Those who live there are not stigmatized by the community, because everyone who lives there is part of the neighborhood. They shop in local stores. Children attend local schools and they have a home they can call their own.
The Department of City Planning spent the last several years and considerable cost to create a plan to rezone the Bay Street corridor. If adopted, the plan will protect the 1,700 low-income residents living in the corridor, plus add more permanent affordable housing within newly built, multi-unit residential buildings — similar to what was done at The Rail. Unfortunately, representatives of City Planning did an extremely poor job explaining what the rezoning would do, which caused the community board to vote against it. The next stop for the plan is the borough president. I urge him to support the very sensible rezoning plan and to oppose the construction of a homeless shelter only blocks away from where one already exists, because it is the common sense thing to do.
By Leticia Remauro
(Leticia Remauro is the former chairwoman of Community Board 1 and secretary for the Staten Island Downtown Alliance.)
Photo Credit- Rendering owned by NYCDCP
The Necessity of Professional Photography
Professional photography is a necessity that all businesses must invest in. The power of professional photography should never be underestimated or undervalued. It has immense value in attracting potential customers to your products or services. I’ll use food photography as it is the best example to show the importance of professional photography. Consider the fast food that you may have eaten at McDonald’s, at Burger King or at any fast food establishment. Order any burger from these establishments and it’s very likely that you’ll receive something that does not really look appetizing because the patty may be lopsided, the lettuce is half crushed, the tomato has discoloration, and the condiments are in a spray of disarray. Now let’s add in the known fact that fast food is detrimental to one’s health, we have to ask – why do people buy and consume fast food? Because they usually see an advertisement about the product before buying the product.
Fast food establishments use professional photography to turn their unappetizing food into five-star entrees. An advertisement of McDonald’s Big Mac is beautiful. Two juicy patties wedged between three fresh soft buns, all topped with perfect slices of lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions, and finished with a perfect amount of secret sauce which ensures a flavorful bite every time without fail. Why would you not want to buy one? But you know the Big Mac you order from the fast food chain does not even closely resemble the Big Mac you see on advertisements. McDonald’s uses professional photography so that they can depict a level of quality, even though it is never found in their actual products.
McDonald’s and other fast food establishments are capitalizing on first impressions through the use of professional photography. And it’s something that you should capitalize on as well. Whatever product or service you offer, you must think about how you are coming across to your customers. If the photography used to depict your business looks cheap, then customers will likely think that your business is cheap. And unless you want that, you should avoid cheap photography. Now if you want your business to look professional, then it’s obvious that professional photography is your calling. Though you may have to spend a decent amount of money in order to get fully finished professional photos, just remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. Choose what you want your photography to say about your business.